As Corr and company bridged a diplomatic gap centuries wide, half a universe away life went on as normal. A relative normal considering the low-intensity beginnings of serious confrontation with arguably the universe's premier show of military might and prowess abroad. The masterminds and benefactors behind the movement to stand fast against the Empire had come to call Kyozist Station home in recent months. Equal measures of laying low with Grimm and his Imperial hound Xilch on the hunt for any signs of resistance while shoring up existing holdings as much as it was to recover from the blows dealt by Mirage many months prior.
Not even some of the universe's most brilliant minds and advanced technology could overcome the need for rest and recuperation by those left scarred from the clash at Loorvu with Tuu and his team. Those that survived and more severely affected required a regiment of physical therapy, reconstructive surgeries, and in the most severe cases, a handful of implants to repair the crippling damage wrought.
The initial trip to meet up with Ohnmatu and the Third Fleet to handle the worst of the casualties saw the attachment of Ervaus Team to Vult's unit. While the trio had performed well on Vort and some small missions since, there was only so much three Vortians could do. Shika, Vara, and Dorum saw many an evasive jump made to throw off any potential pursuers, including a couple of nebulas. The talent of Vortian helmsmen and navigators would make Rem pleased that they're taking good care of her ship.
Kyozist saw repairs unable to be completed by the Third Fleet's flagship Krata and her medical facilities completed over the period they were there. Much like Vult, Rha, and Rem, Krad became the newest member of the species to sport a cybernetic limb of artificial muscle and high end metal. The man could just see the artificial hand clamped around Tuu's neck in his mind. Revenge was what he desired.
Kiara herself was meeting regularly with Admiral 'Narr and with their allies on Orenk, as well as Vaukt from Earth.. A new addition as of late was none other than Sko and his staff, including his somewhat paramour Kiz. The man commanded what several dozen Invaders saw their loyalty to Vaukt over and above that of the Empire. Unlike the regular members of Special Operations who were easily weeded out by Internal Affairs and either killed or needing extraction with their cover as saboteurs blown, the Invaders themselves had some greater degree of success keeping what eyes they could within the Empire and their operations.
Invader Silg himself from Tak's own Invader class, was one of those who chose to join up with the General. He took up cover as a maintenance drone on Destructia working in the cloning facilities. His intelligence was proving more than valuable on defensive locations and facility status of the planet. It was, after all, high up on Vaukt's priority list.
"Eager as the General is, Slig, don't push your luck." Vult warned remotely through his communicator. "Went through enough trouble getting you planetside undetected as-is. Rushing towards your death doesn't do us any favors."
"Well aware, Commander. Playing it as safe as I can here." The Invader replied, set up in a drone habitation block that he modified with various modifications of soundproofing, electronic devices, general items to keep IIA at bay and do his job. "It isn't like Devastis out here with IIA but things do feel a bit tense."
"Grimm's paranoia and Xilch's persistence are a dangerous combination. A sign our efforts aren't going unnoticed. All the more reason to be careful. Feel odd at all infiltrating our own peoples' assets?"
"You told me back when I was in the Invader course I'd be infiltrating the Empire, I'd have laughed and called you insane for even considering such a notion. But here I am. There's something that bugs me, though. From what I found in recent records the naval defenses around here are a bit…light compared to what should be here. No battleships, no fleet carriers, handful of heavy cruisers, and more frigates than destroyers or light cruisers. I'm led to believe things aren't going so well for the Empire in places if they think Destructia secure enough to pull assets."
"Remind me to lend you a copy of the book Corr pulled from the deconstructed data the next time you're on-station. Beautiful Battlefields Across the Canvas of Conflict by High Chief Graxx. Very old. Very wise. One such piece of wisdom - "Appear weak when you are strong, appear strong when you are weak.". I don't believe in convenience and happenstance. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is."
"Suppose you make a good point. I'll see if I can't dig around, see if this is bait or if there's something deeper than this. Anything else you guys need in the meantime aside from usual updates?"
"I'll leave the details to your expertise. Wherever the armor is the weakest is where we want to target and exploit. Getting troops planetside in any meaningful number will be a challenge in itself. For now, continue gathering intel and if any opportunities arise, throw a wrench in the gears if you can get away with it."
"You got it, Commander." His work communicator started ringing. "Damn, gotta take that. I'll update you later on the goings on." Slig quickly cut the channel with Vult before running over and picking up his communicator. "Phas here."
"Phas! Good! We got a problem with the electrical systems in the smeet pods. Can you look into it?"
"Yeah, yeah I can. What's the problem, boss?"
"Low power, we're on generators in there right now. Find out who's the last klutz who worked on it too would you?"
"Will do, sir." With the line cut Slig rubbed his face, quickly throwing his work clothes and tools on and headed for the cloning facility. Sometimes being an Invader was tedious and thankless, but it was something that was needed, especially for the resistance.
With the communications point of contact severed, the weary Commander took a step back from the receiver with a sigh. The telltale flutter of anxious, chitinous wings briefly sounded.
"News good, Vult, Commander? Slig, Invader begin invasion?" The Barren Queen queried, tilting her head as her antenna subtly shifted.
"News same, unfortunately. No invasion." He admitted with reluctance in her inflection, turning to face the towering insectoid Vylatian.
Another chittering flutter. One of annoyance.
"Allies want end Empire, Irken. No fight Empire, Irken. How win if never fight?"
The four armed Turo Koreenk was likewise also quite infuriated. One of his hands coming up to rub his forehead in frustration. "So we're supposed to sit around poking the beast, continually losing our blockade runners to attrition, for what? For more intelligence gathering? For more of your own pricks of a needle elsewhere?"
Hunat, the bronze eyed former governor of Orenk turned liaison between Vaukt and the Orenkians and Vylatians, nodded in agreement. "Our situation isn't swell. Did we take additional systems? Sure. The problem is Orenk's industries are woefully underdeveloped. Blockade runners take us months to build. If we lose one of our cruisers or their only battlecruiser, forget it, that's never getting replaced in time. Like we're fighting with an arm and a leg tied behind our back."
"All the more reason why we are exercising restraint." Vult responded, mindful of his tone having felt they had this conversation time and time again. "We move at the wrong time and the Empire is expecting us, there will be no recovery for any of us."
"Allies are body of blood. Empire, Irken kill by thousand cuts. Allies grow weak. Empire, Irken remain strong. Slow death." The Vylatian spoke, a dismissive wave of a pair of her upper limbs in unison.
"As we are all aware, Queen Vi'ka'nizan. Throwing ourselves into an unfavorable position will be the death of all of us at this stage." Vult remained cordial, tapping his diplomatic reserves. "The Federation can only muster so much naval power and logistical support even with Krata beyond full production capacity around-the-clock. Soldiers may win battles, but logistics wins wars and the Empire is crushing our c'hurtas at that."
Amka, being in the room along with Vult, gestures for the Barren Queen to relax, sensing her agitation. Kiz was rubbing her eyes in frustration, sitting next to Sko. Nearby, Vaukt himself was appearing by hologram in his rather peculiar attire from Earth. Much as the patience of their allies was growing thin, rash actions were of no help.
"Listen, I understand your frustrations. Even I'm frustrated; it's far easier to go in with an army and stab someone in the back while they're getting punched in the face at the same time. We have to do this strategically. Destructia is our prime objective for a decisive blow set for the Empire. We have to do this right, we have one feasible shot. If we fail, they'll protect that place out the ass and then we'll never get it."
A twitch of her mandibles and antenna were the only physical response he got from the Barren Queen.
"I grow tired of plans and talk. We grow weaker daily. The Empire stronger. "Primitive" as we may be on Vylat, it is survival of the fittest. The strong thrive, the weak perish, and your enemies crushed. Politics means something entirely different to my people. You and the Major are more than familiar."
Vult, relieved the Vylatian wasn't going to press the matter further verbally, turned his attention back to the Federation's acting leader. "While Slig continues to feed us intel and weakening their capabilities, have any of your people came up with a reasonable strategy or are we still in desperate territory?"
"We may have something to help you in the meantime, if you can provide escort ships for your blockade runners." Admiral 'Narr added, only for a pair of Orenkian fists to slam down on the table.
"And now you want us to sacrifice destroyers?!"
"Not sacrifice. Our scientists may have found a means to utilize their shatterstone in armor piercing shells. It'll certainly work for your battlecruiser and cruisers. For your destroyers, I'm certain we can scale it down."
"At the risk of stating the obvious, our supply is extremely limited and somehow I seriously doubt the Alpha Queen would be keen on allowing more of their precious minerals to leave the planet." Vult concluded, eyeing both the Vortian and Orenkian leaders. "Such munitions should be held in reserve for killing blows on high-value targets."
"Then the point's still moot. Going to be bad enough when we risk going back as it is. With as limited as the supply is, and our being unable to use it for primary shells, it's pointless to even bother with escorts." The Orenkian Chieftain was most displeased with the state of affairs as they were. "Probably the only thing keeping the Empire off of us is the fact the Empire recently had one of their planets stolen and messed with their own logistics."
Vult's attention drifted back to the Federation's leader.
"Speaking of that, I take it that negotiations with the Planetjackers have been unsuccessful thus far?"
"Continually stalled," the Admiral sighs. "Just as we think we're getting somewhere their ambassadors say they need to run it by their people. We continually get the run around from them. Alas, until our scientists find a way to save their homeworld by stabilizing their star, this is going to continue. But, on the plus side we do have an accord that they won't attack the Federation so long as we're continuing negotiations."
"At least that's some good news." Vaukt nodded, "I believe once you have the means you'll have an offer they can't refuse."
"That's the idea."
"That's all well and good, but when can we expect the decisive blow to take the pressure off of us on Orenk?" The Chieftain was hoping for something, anything.
"Not for me to decide." Vult gestured to Lard'Narr. "The Federation Navy is the only thing between us and complete annihilation. A finite resource that cannot be squandered."
"Talking in shapes, all of you." The Barren Queen sharply retorted much to their confusion.
"I think she means "speaking in circles" and she isn't wrong." Amkha clarified on her behalf.
"Our approach has yielded results and set the foundations necessary to wage conventional war against a superior foe. Actions out of impatience and haste now will undo all of tha-"
"Impatience? Haste?" Her mandibles clicked in annoyance. "Every day we wait, Empire, Irken grows stronger. Time to strike waning fast. Now or never. We plan, we strike. No more waiting. No more hiding. No more cowardice."
It took every fiber of Vult's being to not lash out with a heated response to her final statement. Tensions were high and all of them feeling the weight of leadership and command across their combined shoulders. Their assertions were not incorrect as Xilch systematically bled them dry with each lost vessel or boarding action to take prisoners. Only by luck had the Planetjackers thrown the largest of wrenches into the Empire's proverbial gears in laying claim to the logistical superhub of what the Irken collectively knew as "Conveyor Belt Planet". They would recover and when they did, the odds further against them.
"She's right. I didn't come all this way here to go back with nothing." Orenkians, much like the Vylatians, were also more naturally aggressive of a species. Why the clans were typically in fights with each other as it were, until a common enemy united them. "Either you do something soon or you're going to lose us both. My people are done tolerating idleness. My other chiefs told me as much. They're sick of waiting, they're questioning my abilities, my right to lead. Someone will challenge me, likely to the death. If I am replaced, there's no putting me back in charge."
"Enough. All of you." Lard'Narr pointed to the involved parties and the brewing animosity. "While the Commander is correct in our strategy to facilitate long-term goals, short-term goals still need to be met. Chief among them at this point is taking Destructia. As we have simulated war-games, without the reliable source of personnel to bolster our ranks, the Empire will crush us in short order by volume alone."
"Slig is actively gathering the intelligence we need to deal crippling blows and bypass planetary defenses, Admiral." Vult felt prudent to remind him. "I understand their frustration with the lack of progress, but without a proper plan of approach, our movement will end in low-orbit over the planet as nothing more than debris and dust. We lack the Empire's ability to throw enough men and hardware at the problem their dead will eventually clog their adversaries' guns."
"Slig, Invader can gather information. Irken can deal with defenses. Same strategy as Praxxus 7. Disrupt communications. No Empire, Irken call for help. Vortian Navy stop Empire ships." The Barren Queen dictated, gesturing to herself and her Orenkian counterpart. "We make planetfall, take and hold."
"Not without us you don't." An infamously-familiar voice announced upon entry into the room, polished boots clipping across the deck with subordinates in tow.
All eyes rose to the source, finding it to be none other than Major General Saro. The Vortian Nightmare of infamy whose brutality and commitment to the cause now aided the same people he terrorized. He wasn't alone. At his flank strode Rha, a Sergeant Major, with both of them in the newly-initiating New Republic regalia. Gone were the violets, magentas, pinks, and purples of Empire garb. In its place was slate gray and dark red.
"Major General." Vult cordially nodded.
"Commander." Saro returned in kind, looking back to the gathering of leaders and officers. "It is…refreshing to see the others eager as I to take Destructia."
"Who the fuck is he?" Koreenk asked, gesturing at Saro with a pair of hands.
"An enemy's worst nightmare," Hunat answered. "The man who holds a reputation that even reached us who worked in planetary governance. Saro, formerly a Captain of the Imperial Elite…and the wrong type of person you wish to anger."
Rha nodded, "Yeah, well, to pick up where he left off, our work on Haven's finally finished."
"How did you manage to get free and clear of it?" Vaukt was clearly intrigued.
"It took some guile. Drew the Imperial ships around into the gravity well of the planet and let physics take care of the rest. Managed to cobble together enough of one of the freighters for a one way trip here."
"With who?"
"The Haven Legion, as they've taken to calling themselves, but, basically, the Republican Army."
"As tasked, we raised the first Republican Army in centuries from Haven's citizens." Saro went on further. "Those not trained to fight have spent the past several months preparing infrastructure to house and support exponentially more citizens beneath Haven's surface. They are engineering savants and masters of mining."
"We need soldiers, not miners." The Barren Queen retorted.
"No, you need an approach into Destructia's hardened facilities to take and hold. We lack the manpower and ordnance for the direct approach. Tell me, any of you, what direction do you least expect to be attacked from?"
Allowing them a moment to consider his cryptic words, the Major General manipulated the tactical map before all of them to Destructia itself. What locations Slig had provided intelligence on mapped across its surface. He zoomed in, focusing on the layers of strata and stone beneath the planet's surface many meters deep.
Koreenk couldn't help but grin. "Siege engineers…now we're talking."
The Vylatian's wings fluttered inquisitively as her insectoid head tilted at the holographic display, illuminating her multifaceted eyes.
"...dig?"
"Precisely. We dig up, striking from beneath. Vylatians are naturally subterranean and Haven Legion has adopted close-quarters combat beneath similar conditions as their specialty." Saro explained, tapping the surrounding area of one of Destructia's outposts. "Once we have detailed subsurface scans of the surrounding area, we can plan the approach and start digging once planetside."
"How long?" Lard'Narr pursued, genuinely impressed with this tactical brilliance.
"Depends."
"On?"
"How much hardware, manpower, and motivation there is once the projects are underway. Much of this can be done in secrecy. Once we break the surface inside of their defenses, we have to be committed. There will be no going back after that. A multi-faceted assault to disrupt communications, take down defenses, and open the planet wide for conventional invasionary forces on the surface to make planetfall. The rest will be up to the forces on the ground at that point."
"We could easily have this wrapped up in a matter of weeks." Koreenk nodded in approval of the plan, "If I can bring my best warriors out here as well as whatever support my friend here can muster, combined with the Haven Legion, they won't know what hit them."
Saro nodded at his assertion. "That is the intention. By the time the Empire realizes what is happening, it will be too late to mount an organized counteroffensive…"
The Major General's hesitance did not go unnoticed by the Federation's acting leader. "Whatever you are holding in reserve, speak it now."
"...our assault must be thorough and absolute. No quarter. No mercy. No prisoners. The Empire will resist us to the last man, make them pay for it in blood. We must want Destructia more than they wish to keep it. We do so swiftly with violence and brutality born of our ancestors…I only hope we can accomplish our objectives before Empire reinforcements arrive. The Federation Navy must control the system or they will obliterate the planet out of spite and wash their hands of the matter."
"Saro, Major General need not worry. Vylatians devour their enemies. Were I not sterile, I would brood from their corpses. You will have your brutality." The Barren Queen assured.
"I'll make sure my men pack some of the gas, then." Koreenk noted
"Gas?" Vaukt inquired with a raised brow ridge, "What gas?"
"Your man's been busy, General. We've managed to cook up a small batch of nerve agents."
"Chemical warfare, Hunat? Who taught you how to fight?"
"You did. Only unfair fight is the one you lose, I recall hearing you say before." The man paused and looked at the others, "It's true, we on Orenk do have some chemical weapons at our disposal. Not much though, only a couple hundred artillery shells worth. Give or take ten or twenty."
The Vylatian turned her attention to Hunat.
"Lost Hive can provide caustic acids. Lessers naturally produce and can be harvested. Delivery method up to you. Recommend from sky like rain."
"Glad to know I share a room full of soldiers and not politicians." Saro concurred at their willingness to commit to the cause. "Whether this is ethical or viewed favorably in the future is irrelevant. We fight the Empire on their terms, we will lose. We fight them on our terms, our methods, and our resolve, they will regret the past several decades of aggressive expansion, conquest, and betrayal."
Saro looked to Lard'Narr.
"How soon until full mobilization?"
"Dependant on Invader Slig's intelligence."
An artificial eye tracked with his remaining natural one back to Vult.
"How long until we have actionable intelligence?"
Vult, carefully considering his words as he studied the room. These men and women were practically salivating at the idea of taking Destructia. Saro's unconventional and surprisingly brilliant plan held merit, but great risk. A multi-stepped plan of approach that could collapse the moment they were detected.
"I'm not asking Slig to take the planet by himself, Vult. He only needs to get us the information we need to mobilize and avoid detection." Saro placated, doing his best to remain patient with the man out of professionalism.
"...stand by." The Commander sighed, queuing up the communicator again. "Phas, what time is it?"
The Invader's voice came through, coupled with some background noise of his environment, the buzzing of high voltage electricity. "It's late in the evening here. What's the problem?"
"Highest priority. Urgent. Can you talk?"
There was a pause as the man looked around his surroundings and turned on a device to neutralize any possible IIA bugs nearby. "Make it quick. I'm alone but it's not my quarters."
"We've a tentative plan. Need subsurface planetary scans of any Imperial facility and the surrounding area. Prioritize communications, logistics, and defensive networks. We will worry about smuggling our people planetside, but they need that data to start working. How soon can you acquire it?"
Another pause as gears turned in the Invader's mind. "Contact me again in five hours. This is more difficult to do without a SiR unit, but I can get it done by then."
"Understood. Expect to hear from us again. Now get back to work before someone sees you talking to yourself." Vult cheekily concluded before severing the communications channel. "There you have it, assuming no major catastrophes."
The Major General nodded, looking to the rest of the collective.
"Once we have that data in hand and reviewed, we can proceed. Stand up your forces and standby. Anyone that can move soil and doesn't mind the dark preferably. The freighter we arrived on will be our way in. Credentials can be spoofed. The rest of you may need to deal with cramped conditions for a bit stowing away in cargo containers until we're able to fully deploy."
Lard'Narr rubbed his chin contemplatively at the forming strategy.
"How long until you're able to breach the surface behind Empire defenses?"
"Unknown. Depends on the data Slig acquires and where our starting points are going to be. Most of this work will be done by hand to reduce seismic activity. A long, slow process, but one of complete secrecy and the element of surprise heavily in our favor. Enough time for the Federation to mobilize the Navy in preparation for the conventional assault when the time comes."
"My warriors will need to come in with the main force. We're not exactly known for subtlety." The Orenkian Chief was running through plans in his own mind. "I can provide some of my artillery, the chemical shells, and some of our siege engineers we have to help with the effort."
"The lesser species of Vylatian would be extremely useful." Kiz added, "if you can hide them. Not to mention you'd also need someone down there who can control and direct them." Her eyes shot over towards Amka. "You, perhaps."
"Why me?"
"Whatever the Alpha Queen did to me…when we first met, she reactivated something deep in me, in our genetics, locked off to us. I'm able to understand her unspoken language," she gestured to the Barren Queen, "just as I can hear things from you. I can hear you're tired of small time operations and you want to be part of the team to come in for the big win. All for a chance to get at Tuu."
Amka stayed quiet, the Invader Major was able to read him like an open book? How?
"Confined spaces are no issue." The Barren Queen concurred. "You need tunnels, we make tunnels. Amka, Major and Kiz, Invader help direct. Speak with their blood."
Vult's brow furrowed, confused as he looked at the two in question.
"It's…a long story." Kiz offered with a sigh. "We can have conversations without speaking a single word to each other. Bridge the language barrier…and Amka is a member of her Hive, so there's that."
"Kiz-" Sko spoke, only to be quickly interrupted.
"I'm a fully qualified Invader, remember? Just because I'm on your staff and not out there doing Invader stuff doesn't make me any less of one."
"Just be careful, all right?"
"Hey, it's me." She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek in reassurance.
"Two Invaders on the ground…yeah, the Empire doesn't stand a chance." Sko nodded, "The plan looks solid to me."
"We can also provide one or two of our Ohnmatu teams. The Ahko brothers would be rather trusty for recon and VIP elimination, as would our pair who's been working with the Commander's unit." 'Narr added, "Going to be our first real battle as coalition partners it seems."
"Indeed…let's hope it isn't our last." Saro morbidly observed, focusing on Vult and Vaukt's simulated presence. "I have high strategy covered. Slig is going to need heavy hitters on the ground when it comes time to break things. I'll leave your teams' deployments to your discretion. Don't fuck it up."
Vult chuckled.
"Something funny?"
"Yes…ironic, really…hearing you speak Vortian so naturally." The Commander mused, looking to the General to his flank. "How soon do you want my-"
"Our." Lard'Narr interrupted. "You aren't going to shoulder the burden alone. Special Operations and Ohnmatu are all in on this."
"...Our teams to deploy and prepare?"
"Sooner the better, boss," Rha answered. "I mean honestly, my job's done with the training, Saro's in command with what he does best. Let's kick this off."
"Indeed, Commander, sooner the better. I'll leave it to your discretion on how it gets done, but make sure it gets done." Vaukt spoke in agreement with Rha.
"Speaking of: our freighter, it does need more work than what we were able to do," Rha continued. "We were able to do enough to get it here but to get it to Destructia-"
"Don't worry, we can fix it up." The Admiral interrupted, "Wouldn't be the first time we fixed an Irken ship. Give us a week and we'll see you on your way."
"We'll be ready. Green Team is looking to return Mirage's favor." Vult spoke in recollection to those events several months prior. "I'll go brief my people in the meantime."
"Very good. Kick some ass out there."
"Any other concerns, voice them now. Otherwise, we'll all go about our preparations for seizing this target."
Koreenk shook his head, "I just need to make arrangements for some fast cruisers to get the men and equipment I need out here. Then we can attach what ships we have to the main attack fleet."